Air Disinfection Interventions in Grade Schools

描述（由申请人提供）：上呼吸道感染在引起哮喘加重中的作用有充分的文献记载，约占儿童哮喘加重和住院的80%。鼻病毒是主要的病原体。大量证据表明，学校是呼吸道感染传播的重要场所，但在寻找减少传染病传播的方法方面却很少付出努力。本交叉干预研究的目的是确定三种空气消毒技术在降低小学儿童哮喘发作率、护士就诊率和呼吸道感染缺勤率方面的有效性。康涅狄格州一所小学的教室将安装楼上的紫外线灯、光催化氧化装置和高效过滤器。将在整个学年收集和监测空气中的鼻病毒浓度，并使用定量PCR方法进行分析。缺勤数据将从学校数据库中收集，护士的访问记录将从学校护士日志中收集。数据将使用先进的逻辑回归模型建模，以确定干预措施的有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The role of upper respiratory infections in causing asthma exacerbations is well documented, and accounts for approximately 80% of childhood asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations. Rhinoviruses are the major implicated pathogens. A significant body of evidence suggests that schools are an important site of transmission of respiratory infections but little effort has gone into finding methods to decrease infectious disease transmission. The objectives of this crossover intervention study are to determine the effectiveness of three air disinfection techniques in reducing grade school children's asthma attack rates, visits to the nurse and absence rates due to respiratory infections. Upper-room ultraviolet lights, photocatalytic oxidation devices and high-efficiency filters will be installed in classrooms at a grade school in Connecticut. Airborne rhinovirus concentrations will be collected and monitored throughout the school year and analyzed using quantitative PCR methods. Absence data will be collected from the school database, and nurse's visits from the school nurse's log. Data will be modeled using advanced logistic regression models to determine effectiveness of interventions.